Hidden Figures

When the credits began to roll at the end of Hidden Figures I sat in my seat and then began to clap my hands and slowly other customers joined in and applauded the film and the captivating story based on actual events it portrays. The applause continued for a minute or so and then we began to file out of the theater.

Variety's chief film critic Peter Debruge has nailed a detailed review of this film spot on. If you think a story about three talented, capable, strong and determined African-American women and the race to put Americans in space and on the moon is some sort of fantasy, then read his review and better yet go see the movie. 

It is a wonderful film, suitable for all ages and makes me proud to be an American. Not proud of race relations in the last century, but proud that an overwhelming majority of Americans overcame prejudice and recognized the talents of people whose skin color was different from ours. 

In these, the early years of the 21st Century we still have a long road to travel to truly be "one nation under God," but the story of these three women should help us travel that road. 

Click here for the complete blog.

Click here to comment by email.

Leave your dog at home

On Sunday I saw a picture in The Post & Courier, Charleston, SC, of Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster sitting at his desk in the Lt. Gov.’s office playing with his bulldog Boots. McMaster is due to become Governor of SC when Mrs. Haley moves on to the United Nations next week. Will the dog be in the Governor’s office?

I thought this is some kind of crapola. Who does McMaster think he is bringing his dog to the office? Bobby Kennedy, who brought some big hound called Brutus, I believe, to the Attorney General’s suite in the Justice Department, and scared dozens of government employees. Franklin Roosevelt who had Fala by his side all the time; I cut FDR some slack since the White House was where he lived and worked. 

Obviously, I am out of touch with many current opinions and practices. Today men marry men, women marry other women, some men take up with goats, etc, etc. You get the picture that yesterday’s “aren’t done's” are today’s “par for the course.” 

Nestle’s, for example, allows its 1,000 plus employees to bring their dogs into its City Place headquarters in Gatwick, Scotland, daily.

Slate has published an extensive article on the subject. I found it interesting among these pros and cons someone finally asked, “what does the dog think about all this?” 

Personally, I believe if a dog likes to run around, bark at the delivery man, chase cats, and bite people who think his tongue hanging out of his mouth is an invitation to pet him, he should stay home and greet you at the door with a tennis ball in his mouth.

Now all the dog lovers in the world need not jump all over my bones. It is simply this man’s opinion that dogs are probably better off at home and non-dog owning employees ought to be allowed to get on with the work at hand without having to acknowledge the boss's dog. 

Click here for the complete blog.

Click here to comment via email.

Putin Influenced the 2016 Election

President-elect Donald Trump’s ego is so huge he cannot let himself believe his election was aided by Russian preference for him over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

Yet, the American Intelligence Community has made the assessment that the Russian government, at the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin, did in the 2016 election cycle conduct an influence campaign combining cyber activity with overt efforts by Russian Government agencies, state funded media, third-party intermediaries and paid social media users or “trolls.” (The full report can be found here.)

The goal of this influence campaign was to discredit Secretary Clinton, compare her unfavorably with Candidate Trump, and cast doubt on the fairness of the democratic election process in America. 

There is no evidence that voting machines or ballot counting processes were compromised. Such was not the goal of the influence campaign. The goal was to work on people’s minds, on their thinking and ultimately affect their decisions. We know Secretary Clinton won the popular vote by more than 2 million. (President-elect Trump claims he won the popular vote “if you discounted millions who voted illegally.” No one has found those illegal voters.)

The election was decided by the voters in three key states: The differences are in Michigan 11,900, in Wisconsin 22,871, and in Pennsylvania, 68,236. These three states account for 46 electoral votes. If Clinton had won these states, she could have sealed the presidency with 274 total electoral votes.

South Carolina is where I have made my home since 1959. I am originally a native of Massachusetts, but I have come to deeply love South Carolina and the people in it. All of this despite the fact that this is a Red state, one of many, and the good lord himself, running in this day and age as a Democrat, would likely run second. 

South Carolina was one of only six states to vote for Barry Goldwater in 1964 and has voted Republican since, except in 1976 when it voted for fellow southerner Jimmy Carter. Voters in South Carolina were not likely targets of the Russian influence campaign, many were undoubtedly unaware of it and have difficulty, like President-elect Trump, in believing it. 

The Russian influence campaign was not aimed at Red states. It was aimed where people are likely to shift from time to time, to put it bluntly where thinkers still live. It doesn't take much to swing a vote. If you can find a little doubt that is where to go to work. Plant a seed, nurture it, repeat it over and over and a vote is swung. This was the purpose of the Russian influence campaign designed to be helpful to now President-elect Donald Trump.

Click here for the complete blog.

Click here to comment.

To unsubscribe send email here with Unsubscribe in the subject line. 

Trump Needs Blind Trust

Letters to the Editor

The Post & Courier

Charleston, Sc 29401

Dear Sirs:

I don't begrudge President-elect Trump his holdings, reportedly an interest in some 500 enterprises all over the world. I am, however, in that part of the citizenry that says Mr. Trump ought to put these holdings into a blind trust, not have them continue to be actively managed by his children. I am talking about a trust so opaque sixty forensics scientists with magnifying glasses could not figure out where anything is.

Mr. Trump cancelled a news conference scheduled for December 15 to discuss this issue but promised to do so before he is sworn in on January 20th.  If this is like making his tax returns transparent I won’t hold my breath. 

It doesn’t matter how smart Mr. Trump is, when he is President Trump he is going to get new information and fresh news every waking moment of his life. This knowledge is going to impact his decision making - whether on behalf of the country or himself - particularly if he remains conversant with his holdings as “managed” by his children. It will be supremely impossible to do otherwise.

What does a conflicted President of the United States do if the leader of country X threatens to wipe out the President’s holdings in X unless the United States does what X wants? Knuckle under? Sacrifice a pile of wealth? Go to war?

Published December 23, 2016

Click for the Complete Blog

Click to comment.